We like to play “pretend” sometimes like many people coping with pandemic conditions. Sometimes we like to “pretend” we’re going out for a trivia night like in the old days. Does this mean we actually put on “outside world clothes” and shower beforehand? Well, sometimes we shower beforehand – but do we put on “going out clothes?” Heavens NO! We pretend our basement gaming room is the bar, and we sign into the Zoom meeting that will magically present trivia questions to us – and we have our own drinks on hand. Yes, we know it’s not “exactly” like the old pub trivia games, but it’s a nice break from watching TV!

We heard in Wednesday’s virtual game that “real” trivia may happen again soon at Eastern Market Brewing Co. in Detroit (our virtual trivia host Robear said so). Trivia may also happen soon at Hermann’s Olde Town Grille in Plymouth. Also, it’s supposed to start up again next week at the Owl in Milan (7 p.m. Wednesday nights).

We’re not rushing to play live trivia games anytime soon since we’re so low on the vax priority list, though we may be able to get jabbed soon! And maybe legitimately – and not by some shady thug offering shots from the tailgate of his Jeep Cherokee in a liquor store parking lot! Someone joked on a college discussion board that I follow that they haven’t been this excited for a shot since they turned 21 (I thought that was a good one)!

1. Cartoons -What is the name of the family dog on The Jetsons?

2. Advertising – Microsoft used the Rolling Stones’ song “Start Me Up” in advertising promoting the release of what specific operating system? I remembered that the Stones were kind of popular around a certain time because of a world tour (this helped us get this right).

3. Historic Places – Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is located in which Southern U.S. state? Wow, sometimes this state IS the correct answer (we guessed this state on a sportsball question a few games ago and missed it). One chance out of 50 of getting a states question correct if you guess it?

4. Rocky – What character does Rocky fight twice in Rocky III? Pity the fools (we were the fools here)!

5. Earth – What is the six-letter term for the layer between Earth’s crust and its outer core?

6. Plays – Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle are main characters in what play by George Bernard Shaw, which was later adapted into a 1956 Broadway musical?NERD POINT: What is the name of the musical?Got both parts correct.

7. Bands – What number is in the name of the band that released the single “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” in 2000? Miss, picked wrong “number” band (as did several other teams).

8. NBA Awards – Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams are the only three-time winners of what NBA award, which has been given out after every season since 1983? And this is why we saved our one point wager…

9. Presidents – In addition to John Adams and John Quincy Adams, which 19th-century U.S. president had a last name beginning with a vowel? Mike instantly came up with the right guy (who also had lots and lots of pants that he accessorized with his mutton chops – but that’s not important right now).

10. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer ran in and completed what city’s marathon, becoming the first woman to do so as an officially registered competitor, five years before a women’s race was sanctioned? Torn between two major cities, guessed the right one woot! Next best thing to winning a marathon is getting a trivia question about marathons correct!

Mystery – Add ‘Em Up – Sum total of the things indicated in the following questions will add up to 29

M1. Number of brothers in the pop rock band Hanson multiplied by the number of brothers in the pop rock band Jonas Brothers

M2. Number of Academy Awards won by the 1997 film Titanic, a record it shares with Ben-Hur and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

M3. In Hamlet, the number of the act that includes the “To be, or not to be” monologue

M4. Total number of fields for which Nobel Prizes are awarded (“Physiology or Medicine” counts as one field).

Only got #2 and #3 correct. We were in second to last place going into the final (oh what sweet sorrow, yada yada whatever whiny thing some person said in Hamlet – slings and arrows of Bette Midler’s dialogue in Outrageous Fortune…). Final category daytime TVName both TV series that have won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series more than ten times, ahead of As the World Turns and Days of our Lives, which each have four wins.

We did a rare virtual game thing and wagered zero on this. Which paid off (not literally, no prize money in virtual games unless you’re really, really lucky) – since no teams managed to get both of these correct. We ALMOST did – but talked ourselves out of the one of the correct ones. Which didn’t matter, since we wagered nothing! Still, we were pretty happy about ending up in third (best showing in a virtual game since our Anchorman trivia night)! As always, Go Pods and stay classy, Bette Midler!